Resource Centers in Govt. Schools: One step closer to the vision

Deenabandhu Teacher Resource Center

Supported by Oracle, through CAF, India

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15 to 25 select Govt. primary schools from every district are awarded INR 25,000/- by the Central Government. This amount is expected to be utilized towards the production of teaching learning materials. All these Schools intend to create a resource center of their own.

Deenabandhu Teacher Resource Center is preparing low cost TLMs since 2006. It has so far produced more than 800 TLMs so far, in Science, Mathematics and Geography. It is also trying to empower Govt. Primary school teachers to create these TLMs on their own through TLM making workshop. These workshops not just focus on preparing TLMs but also elaborate about how and when these TLMs should be used in the classroom with respect to school curriculum. Deenabandhu has become popular in this regard promoting activity based learning not just in Chamarajnagara district but also in many districts around.

About 30 to 35 schools from the Chamarajnagara and Mandya districts have approached Deenabandhu seeking support in creating Low-Cost TLMs for them. Deenabandhu TRC team is actively supporting them in this endeavor. It is a vision of Deenabandhu to make learning in primary schools, an experiential and activity based one in the whole of Chamarajnagara District. We are grateful to this opportunity which will take us one step close towards this vision.

Deenabandhu has become the pole star in the district of Chamarajanagara for all schools and teachers who want to inculcate activity based learning in their teaching. We are happy to guide and support them in this regard to promote science and Maths education in and around Chamarajanagara.

Training teachers for the teachers supported by Azim Premji Foundation

Deenabandhu Teacher Resource Center
Supported by Oracle, through CAF, India
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Azim Premji Foundation has a program to train Govt. school teachers. One such institution is located in Mandya district near Mysore, Karnataka. Through this program the foundation is working towards improving primary school education throughout Mandya district which includes Mandya, Malavalli, Madduru, SriRangapatna, Pandavapura and K.R. Pete taluks.

Deenabandhu Teacher Resource Center is conduction teacher training program since a decade. Currently with the financial aid from Oracle, it is training 162 Govt. primary school teachers. Deenabandhu teacher training program/workshop is very appreciated and well received throughout Karnataka. Many private organizations and education institutions are also approaching Deenabandhu to conduct teacher training program for them in the subject Maths, Science and Geography.

One of the very respected organizations, Azim Premji foundation also approach Deenabandhu to train the Govt. primary teachers of Mandya district. Since June 2016 we have conducted five such workshops for them. Each workshops was for two days.

Apart from conducting workshops for 160 Govt. teachers from 140 different Govt. schools, we have conducted workshops for the following organizations on-demand since June 2016.

Sl. No.	Organization/School	Place	No. of teachers
1	Sri Rama Vidyakula	Yelavala, Mysore	20
2	Suprema Public School	Kalidasanagara, Mysore	25
3	Azim Premji foundation	Mandya	35
4	Azim Premji foundation	Malavalli	32
5	Azim Premji foundation	Madduru	38
6	Azim Premji foundation	Pandavapura	30
7	Azim Premji foundation	Nagamangala	23
8	Trained Graduate Teachers, DIET	Chamarajanagar block	30
9	Sri Ramakrishna Samagra Shikshana Kendra	Bangalore	10
10	Govt. Higher Primary School	Kerehalli, Chamarajanagar	16
11	Govt. Higher Primary School	Devangapete, Kollegal	20
12	Govt. Higher Primary School	Gundlupete block	35

Conclusion :

During these teachers training workshops, Deenabandhu not only enables teachers to prepare their own teaching learning materials (TLMs) but also guides them, how TLMs can be used in the classrooms with respect to the syllabus. This approach makes Deenabandhu teacher training workshops innovative, practical and helps teachers to make children experience concepts of Science and Mathematics. Hence these workshops are successful and Deenabandhu is conduction workshops for various organizations including Azim Premji Foundation.

When teacher blossoms into a resource person!

Deenabandhu Teacher Resource Center

Supported by Oracle, through CAF, India

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Deenabandhu is training Govt. primary school teachers in the district of Chamarajanagar since 2005. Deenbandhu has trained over 800 teachers since its inception. Currently Deenbandhu Teacher Resource Center (TRC) is working towards the professional development of 162 Govt. primary school teachers from Chamarajanagar district in Science and Mathematics. Earlier Deenabandhu TRC was supported by Sir Ratan Tata Trust (SRTT) and Navaj Bai Ratan Tata Trust (NRTT). Since April 2015, Deenbandhu TRC is completely supported by Oracle.

Currently 162 Govt. primary school teachers are being trained by Deenabandhu TRC through workshops, discussions, school visits and personal interactions. This story is about two teachers out of these 162 namely Sri Sunil Devkumar and Sri Manjunath.

Sri Sunil Devkumar works as a science teacher at Govt. Higher Primary School, Kesthooru, Yelanduru Taluk, Chamarajanagar. Sri Manjunath works as a science teacher at Kunthooru, Kollegal Taluk, Chamarajanagar. Both of them were introduce to Deenabandhu in 2015. They actively participated in all the workshops conducted by Deenabandhu. They kept continuous contact with Deenabandhu resource persons by visiting the center regularly. They also used to call whenever they needed any clarity with any Teaching Learning Materials (TLMs). They used to borrow TLMs from TRC to use in their schools. These young teachers who used to attend workshops as trainee are now invited by the educational department of Chamarajanagar as Resource persons to conduct similar workshops for other teachers.

Making every teacher a resource person himself is the vision of Deenabandhu. Examples like Sunil and Manjunath are making our visions and dreams come true. This is a very inspiring beginning and we can already see the cultural shift in education of Govt. schools in and around Chamarajanagar.

Changes ignited by the Deenabandhu Science Park

Deenabandhu Teacher Resource Center
Supported by Oracle through CAF, India
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Deenabandhu Science Park has become popular in the district of Chamarajanagar. Many schools keep visiting the park almost every week.

After seeing the success and realizing the usefulness and uniqueness of the Science Park, Deenabandhu has been asked to established similar Science Parks by different primary schools like Jnanasarovara International school, Mysore, Sri Ramakrishna Samagra Shikshana Kendra, Bangalore and Shishumandir, Bangalore at their premises. Boeing, India has also expressed its interest to support such Science Parks in Govt. schools around Chamarajanagar.

Science Park has so far attracted children and teachers from 66 schools since its inception in April 2016. So far science park has attracted 6867 visitors which includes 5481 children and 782teachers. It is attracting teachers and students alike so much that it has inspired other schools to establish their own science parks.